November 8, 2019
Kiyomoto Ogasawara, a 32nd-generation samurai master, gave a public lecture that was followed by a community dinner. During his talk, Mr. Ogasawara discussed the long history of the samurai tradition and its place in Japan today, highlighting both the physical and mental components of the tradition. Approximately 100 people attended the event, including Carleton faculty, staff and students as well as community members. Mr. Ogasawara’s visit was in conjunction with a Fall Term 2019 religion class, “Samurai: Ethics of Loyalty and Death.” The class combines traditional classroom learning with hands-on experience in kyudo, a form of Japanese archery, and was the result of a collaboration between Associate Professor of Religion Asuka Sango and Kyudo Instructor Carly Born, who is also an Academic Technologist at Carleton. In addition to support from Public Works, this event was sponsored by Asian Studies, Center for Community & Civic Engagement, Class of ‘57 Visiting Scholars for Interdisciplinary Studies, Japan Foundation, and Religion.
Samurai Spirit Alive Poster
“Samurai Spirit Alive,” by Kiyomoto Ogasawara